Copter crash: Boaters waved back, then saw helicopter buck and spin

Tuesday

A passenger stuck their hand out the window and waved at the boats on the lake. Allison and his uncle waved back and watched the helicopter head toward the cove where it crashed.

Mark Allison, 19, and his uncle were heading toward the Grand Glaize Arm from their place on Mill Creek on the Gravois Arm of the lake.

As they neared the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge, the helicopter flew over their boat.

A passenger stuck their hand out the window and waved at the boats on the lake. Allison and his uncle waved back and watched the helicopter head toward the cove where it crashed.

“It was fine at that point,” he said.

From his vantage point, Allison said he could see the helicopter start to descend. He saw the front end dip down, then pull back up. The back end bucked and swooped down to the right and into a series of spins before it hit the water on its side. From where he was, it looked like the propellers exploded just before he and his uncle saw the splash as it hit the water.

When the helicopter first started to spin, Allison said he knew the pilot wasn’t doing it on purpose.

It was just by chance that he and his uncle were in that particular spot. His brother had run into engine trouble and they were on their way to help him.

Allison and his uncle had seen the helicopter before and were familiar with where it landed. At the first sign of trouble, they headed directly toward where the helicopter was starting its downward spin.

“We headed over there, it was still floating when I jumped in the water,” he said. “Two people came up and we got them to the side of the boat and then two kids came up and swam over. We couldn’t find out if there was anyone else. They all seemed to be in shock. By the time they told us there was a small child it was too late. The helicopter had gone under.”

Allison said a man he thought was the father of the victim had jumped off the dock and was trying to get to the helicopter when their boat picked him up.

The rescue crews were able to get a good location on where the helicopter went down.

The rescue efforts began by marking the area off and divers using ropes and lights to search.

Witnesses, including a second boater, were able to provide additional information that aided in the search and recovery efforts.